Improvement in hay-presses



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR A. WARD, OF GALLIPOLIS, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-PRESSES.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. WARD, of Gallipolis, in the county of Gallia and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay. and Cotton Presses; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view with one-half ofthe top of the press thrown up, so as to show the internal construction g Fig. 2, a lon gitudinal section, showing the construction of the follower and the manner of its operation by the spiral drum with its ropes or chains; Fig. 3, a side view of the spiral drum and the lever 5 Fig. 4, avertical section through the center of the shaft and spiral drum, showing the construction of the cube of the shaft and the recesses of the spiral drum.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a shaft, sectional spiral drum, and lever, that while the shaft revolves continuously a reverse action is given to the follower, thus pressing alternately on each end of the press.

'In Fig. l, A A are the sides of the frame of the press, between which the follower B works parallel thereto and alternately against each end of the press C and O; TT, the top of the frame, opened back out of the way to admit the cotton or hay into the press T T', the top closed down ready for pressing; C C', the ends of the press. Against these the follower B alternately presses the hay or cotton. These ends are so constructed that when the hay or cotton is pressed they may be lowered, so as to allow of the removal of the bale when it is pressed. During the operation of pressing the ends are firmly secured to the frame A A by bolts, as shown in Fig. l, or other suitable means. Sis the sweep, by means ofwhich the power is communicated to the shaft. D, the shaft, restson a journal-box on the bottom cross-ties of the sides A A. Its upper bearing is in a journal-box in the top cross-ties of the sides A A. On the shaft there is a projection from its side or sides on that portion of the shaft within the press about midway between the top and bottom. In the drawings, a in Fig. 4 represents this projection, which, if it were severed from the shaft, would present the appearance of a cube, and, for convenience, will be hereinafter called the cube a. E, the spiral drum, which is cast in two sections. The general conformation of each of these sections is that of a truncated grooved cone.

The groove or thread of cone or section e is made so that it winds from a fixed point, 0, Fig. 3, on the right of the base of the cone obliquely upward to the left; then obliquely upward to the right, 011 the opposite half or side; now tothe left, as before; then to the right, and so on, alternating from left to right up to the top of the cone.

In cone or section e the thread is made so that it winds from a Xed point, o', Fig. 3, on the left at the base of the cone obliquely up- Ward to the right, then obliquely upward to the left on the opposite side or half, and so on, alternating from right to left, up to the top of the cone. Each of these cones is cast with an opening through it from its base to its top, just sufficient to allow the free passage of the shaft. There is in the base of each of these cones or sections a recess corresponding in shape to the cube a on the shaft. They are shown in Fig. 4. b is the recess in section e, and c is the recess in section e'. When the sections are on the shaft they are placed with their respective recesses b and c one above the other. (See Fig. 4.) l

Whenever the sections are arranged as in the drawings the shaft D must turn toward the left, and if their positions are changed one for the other the shaft must turn to the right.

n m, Fig. 2, are the ropes or chains which operate the follower B, to the heads of which one end of each of the ropes or chains is fastened by means of a ring or other suitable means. Rope a is secured at its other end by an eyebolt or other suitable means at point o, at the beginning of the groove, which winds from right to left on the base of section e, and as the section turns to the left rope n will be wound up in the groove to the top of the section. Rope mis wound up in a similar inanner, the difference being in section e' wind from left to right, causing rope m to pull in anopposite direction to rope a.

L, the lever, is operated by pressing its handle downward and bitching it in ratchet R. This motion throws the other end of the lever upward,by which means section c', which rests on the en'd of the lever opposite the handle, is thrown into gear and section e out of gear with the shaft D. By simply unhitching the lever section e is thrown out of gear and section c into gear with shaft D. R is the ratchet to hold the lever in place.

B, the follower, is constructed of stout timber. It has two heads, It l, one each side of the shaft. (See Fig. 2.) The braces which connect and strengthen the heads may be constructed as represented hy d d d, Fig. 1, or other suitable means.

Operation: The material to be pressed is put into the press between the head l of the follower B and end U', which is rinly secured to the side frame, A A. T he top T T is fastened down like top T T in Fig. l. The recess c of section c of the drum E is made to up around the cube a. By pressing the handle of leVerL downward and securing it by ratchet R all -is ready for operation.

The shaft D is set in motion by the power communicated to it through the sweep S, and as the shaft turns toward the left it turns cube a, now llin g recess c, thereby turning section e', and as it turns it winds up that end of the rope m which is secured to the section e', and as the rope m is being wound up it pulls the head h of the follower, which communicates the power through the braces d d d to the head l, which presses the material against the end C. The top of the press is then thrown up out of the way and the end O is lowered. The bale is bound and taken out of the press.

That portion of the press between the head 71, of the follower and the end (l is made ready, as the part before described. The shaft still revolves toward the left. The lever L is now unhitched from the ratchet R, thus allowing section to slide down the shaft to the bottom of the press. This motion throws it out ofv gear with cube af, and also removes the support of section e, which, of its own weight, slides down the shaft to the cube c, to which recess Z2 will adjust itself. When adjusted the shaft turns section e by means of the cube af, and as the section c revolves it winds up that end of the rope n which is attached to the section e, and as the rope is being wound up it pulls the head Zot' the follower, which communicates the power through the braces d d el to the head It, which presses the material against end C, and forming a bale. Then proceed with this bale as with the first.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The shaft D, with the cube t attached, and the spiral sectional drum E, and in combination with the lever L, ratchet R, and ropes or chains m and n, the whole opera-ting` as described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above l have hereunto set my hand.

EDGAR A. `VVARD.

Witnesses:

J. HAMILTON, J. G. DANNEM. 

